Assemblyman Connors withdraws support from Mayor Healy, due to Hurricane Sandy response

Hudson Reporter

Nov 26, 2012 | 3399 views | 0 | 19 | |

JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND -- Assemblyman Sean Connors, whose district represents part of Jersey City, as well as Hoboken and other local towns, announced on Monday that he is withdrawing support for Jersey City Jerramiah Healy's re-election bid. He said he was a longtime supporter of Healy.

“I have come to the painful realization that it’s time for a change of leadership in Jersey City,” Connors said. “I endorsed Mayor Healy several months ago for re-election, but now realize that it is an endorsement that I need to retract.”

Connors said he made the decision after witnessing Mayor Healy’s "dismal performance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. As the days following the storm wore on, Mayor Healy’s lack of leadership left many residents, literally, in the cold," according to the release.

Connors called the mayor’s performance “simply inexcusable.” “When the ,mayor had an opportunity to step forward to lead this city, he stepped back. With the right person in the mayor’s office, this would never have happened.”

“One of the common complaints I heard from residents is that they lacked basic information,” he said in the release. “There are many ways that the city administration could have communicated with residents about where to get assistance, when power would be restored and whether it was safe to return to their homes.”

The release noted:

Connors – a police detective in Jersey City – noted Mayor Healy was certainly out and about after the storm, but not in a way that seemed coherent or logical. The mayor was spotted wearing a sports jacket or suit amid city residents in work clothes; he was followed by a photographer for photo ops and often just seemed out of touch with the struggles of those pulling their lives back together.

“There were many parts of the city where the mayor never even appeared,” Connors said. “In a crisis, a true leader must provide a strong sense that he has the situation under control. What I heard from many residents is they felt a sense of growing chaos in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with looting in some neighborhood.

Connors said he appreciates Mayor Healy’s service. “But as a friend and a longtime supporter, I am sorry to say that I can no longer support him in his re-election for mayor and will be looking for an alternative,” the assemblyman concluded.

“It is time to support the next generation of leaders, eager to chart a new direction for constituent-focused leadership for the city,” he added.